Tax holiday begins; Court order for 'horrendous' airline experience: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

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The GST/HST holiday begins Saturday. Here's how it works

This Saturday marks the beginning of the Liberal government's two-month GST/HST holiday that it says will give Canadians a break on the cost of some essential goods.

In order for an item to be sold tax-free between Dec. 14, 2024 and Feb. 15, 2025, it must be paid for in full and delivered by the end of the tax break period.

The federal government says that items will be considered delivered once they are transferred from a supplier to a shipping service, or when they are put in the mail, rather than when they arrive at their destination.

Shoppers do not need to do anything to get the tax break; there is no claims process. The GST or HST will simply not be charged at the time of purchase.

The tax holiday is taking place throughout the supply chain, so goods supplied to a wholesaler by a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer will also not be taxed.

In provinces that have merged their provincial sales tax with the GST to create a harmonized sales tax (HST), the entire harmonized tax will be removed at the time of purchase.

Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have harmonized sales taxes. 

The parliamentary budget officer says the tax break will cost the federal government $1.46 billion and the provinces with HST $1.26 billion — but all of that could end up on the government's books if the provinces decide not to waive compensation for Ottawa's measure.

The list of items exempt from the tax break is long. Christmas trees qualify, but Christmas decorations do not. Imported goods are also exempt from the GST/HST providing they're on the list of items that qualify for the tax holiday. Read more

Air Canada ordered to pay $10K after couple endures 'horrendous experience'

A small claims court has ordered Air Canada to pay a couple $10,000, after an overbooked flight resulted in the two being sent to multiple Canadian airports under the promise of a replacement flight that never materialized, ruining a vacation that had been planned for years. 

A blistering decision from the Small Claims Court of Yukon concluded that the couple were "treated shamefully" by the airline. Justice Katherine L. McLeod wrote that Air Canada had breached the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) multiple times and put the couple through a "horrendous experience."

The APPR lays out the obligations that airlines have to their passengers in the event of issues such as flight cancellations, delays and damage to luggage. 

The couple, who live in Yukon, had saved up for three years so they could take their first vacation without their kids. They arranged time off work and child care for their three children for the nine days that they were going to be at a resort in Cuba, a trip that was scheduled for February 2023.  

According to the court's decision, when they arrived in Toronto for their Air Canada flight to Cuba, they found it had been overbooked. 

Passengers were told that if they volunteered to give up their seats, they would be compensated and booked on an American Airlines flight leaving later that day, which could ultimately get them to Cuba.

Air Canada acknowledged that this situation falls under "denial of boarding," the decision stated.

The plaintiffs decided to take the offer, but found out hours later that the flight was not available to them, without being told why.

Air Canada had argued that the court did not have jurisdiction to award non-compensatory damages, that further delays were due to weather conditions out of its control and that it had fulfilled its APPR requirements by giving the plaintiffs $2,400 each as compensation for the denial of boarding. The airline said that was its only financial obligation in the situation, according to the court's decision. Read more

You asked, Google answered: Don't look at an eclipse, Kate is doing well and, yes, Trump won

The solar eclipse was top of mind this year for Canadians, according to a new report from Google showing the things they searched for the most in 2024. 

"What time is the solar eclipse?" and "Why can't you look at a solar eclipse?" were two of the top-trending searches Canadians wanted to know the answer to. 

(In case you didn't Google the latter: It's always dangerous to look at the sun with the naked eye. Space agencies and ophthalmologists agree that looking at a partial solar eclipse without approved eye protection can cause lasting eye damage.)

U.S. politics, the Euro Cup, various natural disasters, strikes and celebrities also made the list. 

Let's dig a little deeper.

It appeared that in many cases, Canadians were more interested in the world around them than in what was going on at home. The aforementioned Euro 2024 was the No. 1 trending search in news and events. 

Spain won a record fourth European Championship title in July after Mikel Oyarzabal's 86th-minute goal clinched a 2-1 victory over England, which lost its second consecutive final. 

Politics south of the border were also of interest to Canadians, as U.S. elections took second spot for news and events searches. 

Goings-on inside of our country weren't completely neglected, as the Jasper wildfire and various labour actions — including the LCBO, Air Canada and Canada Post strikes — all made it into the Top 10 news and events searched. Read more

What else is going on?

Top local bureaucrats are pocketing big raises and benefits. Some taxpayers are fed up
Ontarians paid $66M plus $1.3M in benefits to CAOs and city managers last year.

Ottawa quietly expands gun buyback program to include parts
The move fixes potential flaw in government plan, but at unknown price.

Health minister won't say when millions more Canadians can apply for dental coverage
The program is expanding 'as soon as possible in the new year' to remaining Canadians, health minister says.

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